Pita products put Methuen bakery on the mapTag: Hulled Sesame Seeds Tahini paste — a viscous, peanut butter-like substance made from sesame seeds impo

Tag: Hulled Sesame Seeds
Tahini paste — a viscous, peanut butter-like substance made from sesame seeds imported from Ethiopia and other countries — has become a red-hot food commodity as the popularity of hummus, which is made with tahini and chick peas, has skyrocketed Hulled Sesame Seeds. "Hummus is getting huge," said Emile Maroun Jr., whose family runs Sunshine International Foods Inc., located at 26 Spruce St. near the Lawrence line. "Pita chips and hummus are going to be the new salsa and tortilla chips." If that turns out to be true, the Maroun family business is in a very good position: It's the No. 1 manufacturer of tahini paste in the United States and also does a thriving business in pita bread and pita chips. National statistics show that Sunshine Foods may be onto something. About 10 years ago, annual hummus sales were around $5 million a year, according to one consumer study. By last year, sales of hummus had grown to $143 million, and some expect the market for the delicacy to more than double over the next few years, to $250 million. Meanwhile, pita bread and pita chips have long been touted by health-conscious dieters as a low-cal alternative to Hulled Sesame Seeds.